Crash barriers, also referred to as traffic barriers or guard rails, are passive retaining systems, which are usually made of steel, on roads. They are used fundamentally to prevent vehicles, in particular passenger vehicles or trucks, from drifting onto the wrong side of the road and from leaving the roadway. On the one hand, areas outside the roadway are thus protected against vehicle impact, and on the other hand serious effects on the vehicle caused by the vehicle descending a slope or caused by a collision, for example with oncoming traffic or with tree growth, can be prevented. Furthermore, a reduction of the potential consequences of an accident is provided, this being achieved by absorption of the kinetic energy of the vehicle by deformation of the crash barrier during the course of a collision.
Since the arrival of motorised road traffic, fixedly installed crash barrier systems in particular have become widespread. However, nowadays, mobile systems are also widespread, particularly for the safeguarding of construction sites. Particular requirements are placed on systems of this kind in particular in the case of use on high-capacity roads, where, due to the extremely high volume of traffic, a mobile crash barrier has to be installed within a particularly short space of time. However, in particular in the case of said high-capacity roads, particular requirements are also placed on the versatility of crash barrier systems. For example, pivotable, semi-mobile systems with which the traffic can be guided electively into one of two different lanes are currently in existence. In addition, in particular in the case of central crash barriers, fixedly installed closure systems are also known, by means of which a crash barrier can be opened as desired and the traffic can be diverted into the oncoming lane. Due to the continuously increasing volume of traffic, semi-mobile crash barrier systems that can be shifted between different lanes depending on the traffic situation have also been introduced more recently. For example, it is thus conceivable to operate a five-lane high-speed road in morning traffic with three lanes in one direction and two lanes in an other direction and, during the course of the day, to shift the central crash barrier so as to operate the road during the evening rush hour with two lanes in the one direction and three lanes in the other direction.
In order to satisfy these requirements, a series of shiftable and movable crash barrier systems are known in the prior art. For example, EP 2 784 221 A1 describes a crash barrier system comprising an extendible travelling gear device. This system makes it possible to displace a crash barrier section in its transverse direction. However, due to the arrangement of the travelling gear device, no other direction of displacement is possible. In addition, in the case of this system, due to the design, the entire weight of the crash barrier section is supported on the travelling gear device as it is extended, which can imply a significant mechanical loading. The object of the invention is therefore to overcome the disadvantages in the prior art.